I'm kind of known for reviewing lots of an item if I bother to review one...like over 100 natural mineral sunscreens, dozens of natural nail polishes, and a few dozen reusable sandwich bags and bento lunch boxes. That's all well and good when it comes to products on which I can quickly make an opinion, but when it comes to natural health goals it can be really frustrating because of the complexity of the human body and so many confounding factors. Am I fatigued because this product isn't … [Read more...]
Kid-Friendly Parsnip Fries Recipe: A Healthy French Fry Alternative
I'll try to write down a recipe that I always just make out of my head for you today, okay? After making it once, you won't need the recipe again either (score for time-saving!). Sometimes you've been using a recipe so long, you can't even remember the first time you made it. This healthy parsnip fries recipe is one of those. (Actually, I would guess it was for an early Whole30 when I was pushed out of my comfort zone and had to buy more vegetables. But I wonder why I tried … [Read more...]
How to Roast Kid-Friendly Vegetables: Add Some “Sweet” Without Sugar!
Sometimes I feel sorry for vegetables. It seems like they're always the "lowest on the totem pole" when it comes to food groups. People crave sugar, salty snacks, and even a good steak in the protein category...Ice cream and a glass of milk get the milk mustache seal of approval in the dairy category...and anyone who's had a toddler knows fruits are basically candy at that age. But poor, poor vegetables -- even when someone gets excited about them, everyone laughs as if you're taking pity … [Read more...]
How Doing Dishes Can Tone Your Tummy
I've always had good abs. This drives my husband crazy because he works out faithfully three times a week and drinks (natural) protein powder and I do...nothing. I just came across my first "pre-pregnancy" photo just after we found out we had conceived our first. It's a very rare shot of my bare abdomen, taken for comparison's sake as that belly grew. As long as I'm sucking in, the ol' abs still look startlingly close to the same, 15+ years and 4 kids later. I hope this doesn't sound … [Read more...]
Meal Planning Doesn’t Have to Be Invisible Labor – How to Get Started and Get the Whole Family Involved (with Jess Dang of Cooksmarts)
When I talk about stress mastery, I often share that the way we feel stress is all about our mental capacity, or load. Some days I can't even walk into the kitchen and prepare dinner because it feels like "too much," and then other days I can handle 2 kids being sick and a very important meeting and 5 deadlines beating down my door... If meal prep and decisions have often felt like a drain on your "mental load," my guest today has just the solution! Jess Dang, Chief Kitchen Cheerleader … [Read more...]
Are you a Grinch? Turns out I Might be….We’re Both Highly Sensitive People
It was the part about the "Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!" that caught my attention. During my training to become a Certified Stress Mastery Educator through Dr. Heidi Hanna and the American Institute of Stress, I learned about the term "highly sensitive person (HSP)." During one class, Dr. Hanna unequivocally said that I was a highly sensitive person myself because of a question I had asked (on paper) -- anonymously to the class, but obviously quite personally in my own mind! "Highly sensitive … [Read more...]
What Is Leaky Gut? Why You Need to Heal Your Gut – 9 Ways to Start Immediately!
It houses 80% of your immune system, the food you eat, and your poop. The gut is the clearinghouse for your body’s health. When things aren't running smoothly down there the answer is often to heal the leaky gut. But what is leaky gut? When gut health is in order healthy foods impact us more, bad things impact us less, and our body can stop fighting gut inflammation and move on to more important things. It seems like almost any health problem we have from skin rashes, to stomach pain, and … [Read more...]
Super Random Stocking Stuffers & Secret Santa Gifts That Adults Will Actually USE
I keep my head in the sand pretty effectively when it comes to the weather, the news, and current trends -- my family knows that if a tornado was headed my direction, they better call or text because I'd have no idea! I'd much rather spend my reading time learning about my kids' dust allergies and how to manage them. My husband helps keep me just barely in the know, so that when the viral Christmas jammies video comes up socially, I don't look like a total idiot. ;) A few years back, he … [Read more...]
Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids and Families
In 2003, pediatricians were given advice on how to help parents choose appropriate toys (in Pediatrics: the Office Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics). One salient line states, "Although toys should never be used as a substitute for loving, unconditional attention from parents and other caregivers, toys can enhance these interactions." (1) By 2018, the advice had become sorely outdated, and somehow parents were handing their children iPads and cell phones literally as a substitute … [Read more...]
What it Was Like to Submit a Samaritan Ministries Medical Need
Changing vocabulary you've used your entire adult life isn't easy. Suddenly an "insurance claim" becomes a "sharing need" and a "deductible" becomes the "initial unshareable amount" -- and instead of hassling with insurance codes and red tape, I get to follow some simple steps and deal with real people on the phone (who are helpful - oh my goodness, genuine customer service is not dead!!!) who help me get paid for my medical bills. Some change is good - and we've found that healthcare … [Read more...]
Best Subscription For Kids Who Love to Cook (Raddish Kids vs. Kids Cook Real Food)
It's no secret that I'm on a mission to change the poor health of our children's generation by teaching every child in America to cook. That I believe the kitchen is the best place to foster connection, confidence, and creativity for our kids while nourishing the whole family. I created Kids Cook Real Food, our cooking class for kids, in 2015 as part of my efforts here at Kitchen Stewardship to help families stay healthy without going crazy. As a trained elementary teacher, I could see the … [Read more...]
45 Easy Non-Food Birthday Celebration Ideas for School
"My husband thinks food and treats are going to get some child killed someday," says the wife of a school principal. He thinks that lawsuits over birthday cupcakes are too big of a risk and cites liability as the most important reason to ban classroom celebration food in schools: "A child with food allergies that is exposed because of birthday treats is a huge liability issue to the school. There is no way the school can be certain of the ingredients of any food brought in from the outside, … [Read more...]
Why Treats at School Should Have Been Banned Decades Ago
We live in a frighteningly litigious society, don't you think? I'm looking at you, burglars who sue homeowners because they got injured during a B&E...and so many more! I'm curious if you can imagine a situation where you would want to sue your child's elementary school. As you turn over possible scenarios in your mind, they're probably all terrifying and traumatic to your child, the kind of thing you hope never will happen in real life and especially in your family. But what about … [Read more...]
Using a Modified Fast to Kick Off a Pathogen Cleanse
Want to starve a parasite? Withhold food from a nefarious bacteria or virus trying to take hold in your gut? Drive your resident fungi-that-don’t-belong crazy with hunger? Don’t just ditch sugar, although that’s a great start. Try a fast to kick off any pathogen purge or parasite cleanse you try and maximize all your efforts! I learned this strategy from the Gut Thrive in 5 program and am indebted to the wisdom of Christa Orrechio and her counterpart in the program, Dr. Tom … [Read more...]
Is Diatomaceous Earth a Safe Parasite Cleanse? (step 2 of Gut Thrive in 5)
I’ve done a form of parasite cleanse 3 times, all with varying results. The first time, I was a little wimpy and skeptical and probably gave up too early. The second time, I had a much more effective pathogen purge program that used diatomaceous earth to weaken the parasites and other pathogenic organisms first, and it was far more effective (see my experience below). The third time (details to come), I actually tested my poop first to find out what kind of parasites I actually had, and … [Read more...]
Why You MUST Address Your Child’s Environmental Allergies
I was totally in denial. Or not? I've known for years that a strong sign of allergies is dark circles under the eyes, and on many an occasion I would have a little conversation in my head like this: My kids sort of look like they have the dark circles, a little baggy under there. Maybe they're just tired? Maybe it's a shadow? But could it be that they're allergic to something? It's hard to tell if they're actually dark or not... Compare yours to other kids around - looks the same … [Read more...]
How to Organize a Room (& Toys) When Fighting a Dust Allergy
You heard yesterday about the tale of getting severe dust allergy diagnoses for two of my four kids and all the cleaning routines we had to implement to try to give some relief to their nasal passages without medication. Friends whose kids also had dust allergies had major advice for me right away, typically in two categories: "Get the drops - they're amazing." "Clear out everything from their rooms - it makes an incredible difference!" And all the online sources of information … [Read more...]
We Spent $3892.57 Managing our Kids’ Dust Allergies – and They’re Not Even Close to Under Control Yet
When my oldest son Paul was in first grade, we moved to a new house. It was fall, the time of year in Michigan when everyone flocks inside and shuts up the house. I began noticing that when he was sitting in silence, it seemed like he was constantly clearing his throat. Just a little under the radar sound. Nothing too overt. But definitely something that made me wonder if his throat was irritated. I asked him all the time, "Is your throat sore buddy? Are you having trouble breathing? Do … [Read more...]
Hope for Heavy Periods: 5 Root Cause Solutions That May Surprise You
Ever had period jealousy? If you have super heavy menstrual flow and long periods like me, I bet you've experienced it. Somewhere around here, most writers would say that this isn't a post for men, but I think dudes with women in their lives (especially married ones) should know how menstrual cycles work, and understand female hormones, period pain and what "normal" is so they can support their wives through each cycle and make sure they're getting help on root causes if they're irregular. … [Read more...]
How to Find an Affordable Non-Toxic Mattress
The dangers of mattresses off-gassing are talked about far more now than when my husband and I got married and bought our first mattress in 2003. There was so much we just didn't know as we spent hours agonizing over making the best decision. Fortunately, there are many options for natural and organic mattresses on the market today and I've done some of the leg work for you! Keep reading to see the list of natural mattress companies I've compiled over my years of research. Our Newlywed … [Read more...]
